


Tower

by Eissel



Series: Whumptober 2019 [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Fall of Beacon (RWBY), Gen, Give Jaune a hug he really needs it, No 2 - Explosion, Poor Qrow he’s got one niece in a coma and another with her arm lobbed off, Ruby’s in a coma and by god is that situation hard to write, Slight AU b/c Ruby's silver eye powers don't exactly cause explosions, Team Dynamics, Team JNPR may be my favs but I still like to torture them wdyk, Volume 3 (RWBY), Whumptober, Whumptober 2019, that tower needed to come down one way or another damnit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-22 04:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20868443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eissel/pseuds/Eissel
Summary: During the Fall of Beacon, the school's tower went up in a column of light. Years after the event, people can recount with near crystal clarity what they had been doing during that moment. For 4 scared young Hunters-in-Training, all they remember is a striking worry for a friend that never made her way out of the ruin alive.





	Tower

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, everyone and their mother’s done a fic about this, but I wanted to jump on the train too (even if it’s like 4 years late lmao), plus it seemed perfect for Whumptober! (Someone take these poor kids away from me)

The Fall of Beacon was an event seared into their minds. 

Each and every person present knew _ exactly _what they had been doing the moment the sky lit up a bright white and the tower that pierced the sky fell. They knew where they were when the loud boom from the explosion that ripped the towers apart hit them.

⸻⸻⸻

Jaune Arc had been wandering the streets of Vale, desperately trying to get back to his team and get help when he heard the bang of rock impacting ground. Deep in his heart he knew that the person he had hoped would survive was dead. He felt tears drip down his face as he stumbled through the city, mind still trapped in that single infinitesimal moment where the two of them had stolen happiness out of the jaws of despair. 

His sobs pierced the empty silence around him. 

⸻⸻⸻

Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren had been leaning on each other, in the middle of looking back to watch as the transport ships lifted off. Then they heard the loud piercing cry and their visions were filled with a bright white light. They had whipped around just in time to watch as the half of the tower crumpled in on itself, and they watched as lightly glowing golden flakes descended from the structure, twinkling in the empty night sky. 

They watched in reverent silence as hope and fear thrummed in their chests. 2 members of their team were still missing, still wandering the Grimm infested streets of Vale. 

They waited, still and silent until they saw a blond head of hair collapse just a few feet away. They rushed to his side, peering into the infinite darkness, trying to get a glimpse of burnished red hair. 

“She’s not coming.” He whispered. “She-” He dissolved into pained crying. 

“Jaune-!” Nora started, but Ren put a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head.

“I’m sorry.” Their leader sobbed. “I couldn’t save her. She… I couldn’t _ do _ anything… Why am I so useless when the people I love need me most?” His voice quieted as he sobbed. “I… Gods… I’m so _ useless. _” Ren activated his semblance, and the tension left his shaking shoulders. 

The terrible sobs kept coming.

Nora finally felt the information register. 

“Pyrrha’s dead?” The voice speaking doesn’t sound like her. It felt like it belonged to a stranger. 

“She’s good as, if she isn’t already.” Jaune finally said. “That… That woman… She killed Ozpin. Pyrrha doesn't stand a chance.” 

With that said, the three teens sat there, waiting until daybreak for any small sign that their friend was alive and well. 

⸻⸻⸻

Ruby Rose felt like she was falling. The last thing she had registered was that terrible sight of an arrow impacting Pyrrha directly in the chest. She felt the wind whip across her face, felt the blazing heat cocoon around her body.

She felt the tears fall down her face, that terrible terrible image stuck in her mind’s eye. The burnished gold as Pyrrha burned away, the _ clank _her armor made as it impacted the ground. 

She was falling. She could hear the growls and screeches of the creatures of Grimm as she fell. 

She was falling. The tower was high, but she was still subject to the whims and laws of gravity. Dimly, she wondered how she hadn’t the the ground yet. 

She _ had been _ falling. 

She had stopped.

“Hey kiddo.” A rough scratchy voice. Uncle Qrow. His voice was on the verge of breaking. She wanted to say something. 

She was silent. “I… I’m sorry.” He said. “This is our fault.” She wanted to reassure him.

She was silent. 

She felt tears drip onto her face. 

She didn’t move a muscle. 


End file.
